Pilgrim mode

[MrsHoneypot]

How long did you play Pilgrim before you moved on to the other modes?

Did you just dive straight in to Interloper?

What mode is most comfortable for you right now?

(Wow, I´m a nosey Parker today! :-P)

[Cr41g]

didn't play pilgrim...started in Voyageur then moved on from there. The only time I spent in pilgrim was solely to obtain Faithful Cartographer

[hozz1235]

5 hours ago, Cr41g said:

didn't play pilgrim...started in Voyageur then moved on from there. The only time I spent in pilgrim was solely to obtain Faithful Cartographer

Same here.  I did try Stalker and Loper but they weren't enjoyable for me.  Been playing custom runs since it came out.

[ManicManiac]

@MrsHoneypot

I started on Voyager, and I decided long ago that I wouldn't allow myself to "graduate" to the next difficulty level until I reached 500 days for each (excluding pilgrim since I don't have much intrest in that mode at all )

I didn't dive straigh into interloper because I want to feel like I've "earned it" (also when I came on board, Interloper wasn't an option yet).  It's a silly personal restiction, but I feel this way I will be able to continue the escalation a lot longer than if I had tried to get used to the highest difficulty right of the bat.

I guess Voyager is the one I'm most confortable in since I've spent most of my game time in it.

[RegentRelic]

You youngin's  back in my day we had only had stalker. or at least the equivalent.

11 hours ago, Cr41g said:

The only time I spent in pilgrim was solely to obtain Faithful Cartographer

I have try to do faithful cartographer in stalker, but every time I all most make it I get attacked by four or so wolves and die.

[Ahatch]

I've only played Pilgrim to try to get to know the Hushed River Valley map . I have pretty much switched to Interloper as my main setting.

[ThePancakeLady]

Started in Pilgrim (June 2016), still play it occasionally, when I want a more chill experience. Maybe the first 100 hours out of over 300 I have played now were mostly Pilgrim. I play mostly Stalker now, some voyageur, Pilgrim when I want to just relax, or go try some silly things out, like climbing everything, everywhere. Interloper never felt good to me, too structured, to rigid, to much min-max for my tastes. Tried some Custom Settings games, never really found any settings I enjoyed as much as vanilla Stalker or Voyageur.

Find what works and feels best to you. Singleplayer game. No need to "compete" with anyone else who plays. I know people who have spent thousands of hours playing almost exclusively in Pilgrim Mode, and others who have spent the same number of hours in Voyageur, Stalker or Interloper. And a few who have more hours in Custom Settings games. The game allows each of us to play our own way, at least in Survival mode. Challenge Modes and Wintermute are a bit less varied. Challenge Modes are preset for a curated experience, only one way preset experience mode. Wintemute gives 3 different modes, but again, no custom settings. 

 

Find what makes you happiest. Play that. Anyone who tells you to "git gud" needs to "git lost".

[ajb1978]

I wouldn't say I "moved on".  I started on Voyageur, then played Pilgrim just to see what it was like without the hostility.  I actually rather enjoy the experience.  It's exploration and looting, and nothing to really worry about.  It's relaxing, what's not to like?

Of course I've played Stalker and Interloper, and done well at both.  But the wolf-crazy nature of Stalker is more annoying than fun, and Interloper is all bark and no bite.  I mean yeah it's easy to die early on but once you get established, it's just a matter of resource management.  And since I do logistics for a defense contractor as my day job, I'd just as soon not do logistics on my off-time.

I generally settle on a Custom mode that's a hybrid of Pilgrim and Voyageur.  Wolves are hostile so I can't be completely careless, but the main problem is damaged gear that I then have to repair.  I also like to play the challenge modes, since it's a short-term commitment so I find myself more freely able to use the stuff I find rather than hoard it.  Using matches for temporary light sources, popping emergency stims just to be able to run like a goober for 60 seconds and shave a little time off my run, etc.

[dbmurph22]

21 hours ago, MrsHoneypot said:

How long did you play Pilgrim before you moved on to the other modes?

Did you just dive straight in to Interloper?

What mode is most comfortable for you right now?

(Wow, I´m a nosey Parker today! :-P)

I started playing right in Voyager.  But I've played Pilgrim a few times (oddly) after starting Interloper play, just so I could understand some map locations slightly better.  Not spoiling yourself with maps is the best way to enjoy the game, especially early, but after you switch to the "knowing the maps / play hard modes" style I felt like I wanted to know some of those map details slightly better in some spots.  So I played some Pilgrim there.

[dbmurph22]

I think Pilgrim is fantastic for just a little relaxing immersion and just living the life and exploring Great Bear, with a little RP,  and no stress.

[_mono_no_aware_]

21 hours ago, hozz1235 said:

Same here.  I did try Stalker and Loper but they weren't enjoyable for me.  Been playing custom runs since it came out.

I did the same. My custom setup is basically Stalker, but with slightly more forgiving needs. Didn't seem realistic to be dying of thirst every 12 hours.

[MrsHoneypot]

I'm glad I was nosey enough to post this question. The answers are very interesting, and enjoyable to read.

Thank you to everyone who posts, past and future. ☺️

[Serenity]

I only ever fire up Pilgrim to test some route to a certain location or check out some geography. I played a bit of Voyageur to start with and then went right to Interloper. I learned TWM on Voyageur by starting and staying there. I did Faithful Cartographer on Stalker, and that was my only longer Stalker game.

[UTC-10]

I started in Voyager. Played in it until the torch trick was 'fixed', among other changes (e.g. intestinal parasites, I believe) which didn't bother me as much, so I dropped my Voyager game and started Pilgrim and never left it.  I know that I have gotten bad habits from playing Pilgrim - I mess with the wolves rather than they mess with me - but the pace of the game and the environment in Pilgrim suits me.  

[devamadhu]

I started in Pilgrim, and then shifted over to Voyageur for a while, but pretty quickly went back to Pilgrim. I started playing TLD because it allows me to experience a little of what survival might look and feel like, even though the game mechanics create a unique spin on that experience. Like they say in the loading screen, wolves don't typically attack people, so I prefer not to experience that in the game (except on rare occasions). My nerves are also easily frazzled, so having my face chewed off on the regular is not all that healthy for me.

I agree that Pilgrim can get boring, especially on much longer runs, but I appreciate that challenge too. After you hoard/hunt/craft what you need to, the game experience becomes more introspective, calming, and even enjoyably lonely. I think the recent video Hinterland released about the loneliness of TLD really speaks to that. It forces you to use your imagination and create your own roving storyline.  

[jhickie]

Never played Pilgrim before, started on Voyager. I spent a LOT of time in Voyager, and got all of my feats and most of my achievements there. Even the cursed Frustrated Cartographer. I never played Pilgrim to grind out feats or accomplishments. I don't judge anyone who does though.

Graduated to Stalker for a short time, then to Loper. Been playing Loper exclusively for some time now, and I also like to play Custom for some of those player-created challenges that are more like Loper+. Mostly vanilla Loper though.

There's just too much free stuff in the other modes for me to find it a challenge. We all play TLD for different reasons. I like cycle of struggle & success that Loper provides. True, the early game is where the real challenge is at, but once you get established then it's time to set personal goals and challenges to stay engaged. I certainly wouldn't want to just sit in a cave fully stocked with food, water, and fuel, just playing cards forever. Managing resources vs. weather is part of the fun of Loper, for me anyway.

On 10/4/2019 at 4:26 PM, RegentRelic said:

You youngin's  back in my day we had only had stalker. or at least the equivalent.

I have try to do faithful cartographer in stalker, but every time I all most make it I get attacked by four or so wolves and die.

Attempting Frustrated Cartographer on Stalker sounds like a great way to make something even more difficult that's already very difficult to begin with! Pure masochism. 

[atomic]

I don't judge anyone who does not play pilgrim 😎

I started on pilgrim, learned a lot then went on to play story mode and then tried interloper a few times. Really interesting eperiences. This game is so cool , it offers something for almost everyone. Finally I like the peace and the challenge of pilgrim most. I can understand that for some pilgrim is not challenging enough and frustrating in the long run.  I can also understand that interloper can be boring and frustrating for people.

My current pilgrim run is almost at 700 days and after spending the last 2 weeks in game gathering coal and stick in desolation point and crumbling highway, I decided to go back to my home at Quonset just to fish a lot to get some oil for my lantern. Now I have to carry all the fish from the hut to the garage. And I can't wait to go back to timberwolf mountain and finally start improving my revolver shooting skills. So much to do here even after almost 700 days!

[Morrick]

I started The Long Dark with a Pilgrim run with the male character, explored a lot, survived 52 days. Then I left that slot saved, and started a second Pilgrim run with the female character (I wanted to know if — like I saw in other games — there were differences between the two characters, like male is stronger and chops wood more quickly, but female can sprint for longer stretches and has a slightly better tolerance to cold, something like that).

After surviving 49 days with the female character, I started a third run, this time directly on Interloper, to see what the hardest experience was all about (and I documented my attempts in this thread). In my longest run on Interloper, I managed to survive 19 days, and then left that slot saved with my character still alive but in poor condition. While I understand why Interloper is fun for other players, after all my attempts I decided it's not the mode for me. Now I'm currently on yet another run, but in Voyageur, and my character has survived 23 days so far. I like Voyageur. I jokingly call it Careful Pilgrim.

But I haven't 'moved on' from Pilgrim. I'm an explorer, not a hunter/fighter, so at the moment I have 4 savegames on Pilgrim, 1 on Voyageur, 2 on Interloper, 1 on Custom. Depending on the mood, when I launch The Long Dark, I choose one of those and play a bit, survive a few more days, etc. I play The Long Dark to enjoy some relaxation and clear my mind, so I don't care about feats, achievements, etc. Pilgrim is my preferred 'worldview', in the end. Cheers! 

[Guest jeffpeng]

On 10/4/2019 at 1:02 PM, MrsHoneypot said:

How long did you play Pilgrim before you moved on to the other modes?

I didn't. The idea of non-hostile wildlife didn't appeal to me.

On 10/4/2019 at 1:02 PM, MrsHoneypot said:

Did you just dive straight in to Interloper?

Hell no. It took me almost a year before I felt confident enough to do that, but when I did I was surprised that it actually wasn't as hard as I imagined.

On 10/4/2019 at 1:02 PM, MrsHoneypot said:

What mode is most comfortable for you right now?

Honestly: Interloper.

I quit Voyageur relatively soon when I got the basics down, but was pretty damn annoyed with Stalker and its constant wolf spam. So I settled for a Custom Setting for a long time that I dubbed "Harder-Than-Voyageur" which was mostly Stalker, but with less wolfes and lower regeneration to offset that. Switching to Interloper was mostly dealing with a the hard start and scarce resources in the beginning. Plus I like that an encounter with a wolf can actually mean death. It gives care, preperation and knowledge of your area I much bigger emphasis. I also like that you fight the elements rather than wildlife most of the time. Another plus: being a compulsive hoarter less loot means actually less hauling.

[MarrowStone]

I used to play only Stalker, until the update where the wolves lost their strength and gained in numbers. Now I play Voyager mostly. But that mode has way too much loot and isn't cold enough. Still I either play that or a custom game with Stalker/Interloper populated with tools and guns. 

Right now I'm doing faitful cartographer on Pilgrim because I don't have the patience to afford to mess up and die, lol. 

Edited October 21, 2019 by MarrowStone

[FluffyComeHome]

I started in Voyager and still like that mode best, overall. At one point I played Pilgrim for a couple of weeks because I wanted to really explore all the nooks and cranny's in the maps, but actually found it was easier to do that in Voyager. LoL Mostly because I needed to hunt bears and wolves to get warm skins and they just run away in Pilgrim. I play Interloper quite a bit also, but still prefer the balance of Voyager.

[Hilayla]

I've tried out all the modes but haven't messed with custom at all. I like Pilgrim for when I just want to "go for a walk in the snow". I live in a southern city so rarely even see snow let alone get any that sticks. I don't mind the wildlife running away because it forces me to plan my hunts. I don't think I have gotten to 500 days on any run. I usually get myself trapped or lost somewhere. I've fallen into crevices goating around that I just couldn't escape from.

However, whenever I am showing someone the game, or if I'm not looking for the quieter experience, I always start a loper run. I'm not sure I've lasted more than two or three days, though. I'd like to blame poor habits from pilgrim, but it's usually doing something I know I shouldn't.

[DaPepster]

When I first got TLD, I played Pilgrim for about the first 100 days or so, then I went to starting games in Voyager, and have a lot of time invested in that one. I have started a few games in Stalker and Interloper, but lately I've come back to Pilgrim simply for the exploration aspect of the game.

[Saws n Sins]

I started on voyager and then skipped over stalker. I wish stalker was like loper except tools and guns spawn, instead it's a zombie survival game (where the zombies are wolves). On stalker it seems there is a wolf every 10 feet and that just gets super annoying. I think stalker wouldbe perfect if they just made the loot scarce like loper, spawn toola and guns (just rare spawns) and start you off with what you start off with in stalker as is. Would be a perfect step up from voyager to get ready and practice for loper. Instead on stalker the difficulty is only there cause they took wolves and turned their spawn rate up yo 10000%

Edited October 26, 2019 by Saws n Sins

[indianajonas]

I am a peaceful pilgrim and I love it.

I played a long time on Voyager (as it came out without experience modes), but eventually switched to Pilgrim because a death is too frustrating for me. About two weeks ago I fell in love with this game again.

I see it as an adventure. My character is an adventurer that discovers a world on his own. He faces different challenges (allthough I do not have to worry about really anything.)  To make my own story is something I never really did before. I was always on the side of "I only play singleplayer campaigns because of the story". But with The Long Dark that has changed. My male character is a photographer that has made the decision to portray the quiet apocalypse. On my way through the world I make a lot of screenshots and videos. (A video of my pilgrimage would be very cool in my opinion. I am working on it.) I am very glad, Hinterland included the Pilgrim mode because otherwise I would not play this great game, I guess. I have never really got to the point where I overcome my frustration that comes with a death (especially when I am in the middle of an epic trip). Permadeath is just not for me. Everything else I love soo much. For me it is on of the best games of all time. It has everything I enjoy: Exploration, survival without zombies, a sense of adventure, a beatiful world, music, etc.

My challenge is: the Platinum Trophy in this game. That would be a true sign of love and dedication in my eyes. There was a time where I thought I could never get the Platinum trophy but I have accept the callenge. At this point I have 3 challenges left: 500 days, all skills on level 5 and all challenges. I recently had a huge set back. My 300 days character (with almost every skill on 5) died because of my own stupidity. But I have learned from this mistake.

I admire all players that have fun with this game, regardless of what difficulty they play the game. I might try custom modes in the future (everything harder except the predators. Fighting in this game is not a lot of fun for me.)

Thank you, Hinterland, for making a game that is so diverse.